How do you know its going to be a long season in Norfolk? When Jay Gibbons and Kevin Millar crush your pitches in spring training.

Great stuff Roch, straight to the point.

Uh oh, better test Gibby again.

Aquino's stuff is straight. Oh boy. Not good. I worry Hoey's stuff is straight as well. Appreciate knowing who is cranking the ball out AS WELL AS who they're cranking the ball out against. If Gibbons is cranking them out I want to know which little leaguer is on the mound.

No way I'm getting over Millar going back to boston...I don't care how much fun he wants to have in the club house, that club house should have STAYED the Orioles club house...he's dead to me forever.

Feel free to heckle as much as possible...

He obviously doesn't know nor care to know how important ANTI REDSOX and ANTI YANKEES we are around here...

Good to hear that Mora sounds like a "happy camper". Not much has been printed about Melvin, and he is a great guy.

Comma guys, be more positive. It is just a bp for the pitcher and Gibby might have a breakout year.

"Big clap for Kevin Millar," he yelled, as the ovation grew louder. Millar raised the bat over his head with both hands as he walked to the dugout.

--Roch can you just film him all day and post it here. The guy should have his own reality show!

Just read something interesting:

The last game of the season to be played at Yankee Stadium is against the Orioles. How nice would it be to crush them on that day? I'm talking like a massive beat down. That would be a very bittersweet moment for me. LET'S HOPE IT HAPPENS!! YAY!

Sorry Jennifer I won’t be in the nosebleeds…but if it makes you feel any better I am ready for Huff too!

But seriously…that post was in jest. I don’t make a spectacle of myself like that in public but for the life of me I don’t understand why anyone would be enamored with Millar as a ball player. He is at best a bench warmer and probably really should be playing in a church softball league somewhere.

Don’t get me wrong…he seems like a likable fellow and can be funny and all that but if this team ever wants to win players of his talent can not be a starter.

Gibbons always seems to crush balls in ST, but wait until he sees a breaking ball from a major league pitcher and he's an automatic out. Dude even admitted that he has "no clue at the plate".

Sounds like Mora is liberated this year. Wonder how much he misses Miguel.

I've never heard of half of these guys and the ones I do know are way past their prime.

Gibbons is only in the majors due to good batting practice performances. Coaches have those images in their head. When the bright lights come on, he's terrible..... Kinda like how a girl can look real good on a Saturday night in a dark bar, but on Sunday morning you see her in the light and can't get her out of the house soon enough... So I've heard

would be nice to see Gibbons have a breakout year instead of a breakdown year like usual.

There is a place for a Millar on every good team. Granted it would best be as a PH/spot 1B/spot DH but he is good for the chemistry and can contribute to any team IMO. Hard to keep the fun in any business, even sports and he keeps it in perspective. WHich is obviously more than can be said for some fans

Okay put yourself in Millar’s shoes for just a moment:

You are on the Red Sox. You are down by 3 games, and about to lose the fourth to the Yankees. You (Kevin) draw a walk in the 9th inning and your pinch runner scores to tie the game. Then your team ends up winning that game and the next three to take the AL Pennant. Your team then goes on to sweep the Cardinals and win the WS, something that had not been done in 86 years. You are a part of baseball history. Your patience at the plate turned into that tying run which kept your team alive when all hope was lost!

He obviously was a big part of that team. He was loved in Boston and played the game well. I’m GUESSING he made close friends while he was there. They went through something very special together. He was then traded to Baltimore, a team that obviously had not been going anywhere for years. Now I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that he probably still talks to his friends/ex-teammates on the phone or by email.

When Boston made it to the WS again, they, yes BOSTON, asked if he would come and throw out the first pitch. He didn’t call them up and say “Oh I got a great idea, I want to come back and throw out the first pitch because I can’t get over Boston!” He got Andy McPhail’s approval and decided to go celebrate with his FRIENDS. He wasn’t wearing a single Red Sox item. They wanted him to throw out the first pitch because he’s a good guy, a funny guy, and a caring guy who loves the game of baseball. The fans love him and so do his ex-teammates. How dare you sit there and say that he doesn’t care for the Orioles. He’s told reporters that he wants to stay in Baltimore and help this team win. He likes it here and he loves our players. He even said hitting that walk off homer against the Sox this past season was funny and felt amazing. He likes being that goofy guy to help motivate our players to have a little fun. I just think it’s sad that you all have to crap on him for that.

For any of you to say ill things about him is just plain silly to me. If you were in his shoes, you would have done the EXACT same thing. So stop calling him the Red Sox Rally Monkey and just accept the fact that he’s a nice guy, a great baseball player, and a wonderful addition to the O’s family. Seriously enough is enough! If you want to crap on someone for not showing their Oriole Pride… well where were you when Tejada was bitching about wanting a trade? He obviously didn’t want to be a part of this organization anymore, yet he got cheers and standing ovations when he walked onto the field.

All I am saying is take it down a notch. Put yourself in Kevin’s position before you call him names and rip on him for having an outstanding personality, something that is usually nonexistent in the O’s clubhouse.

Sorry it’s long but I’m tired of people trying to find things to pick at when the season hasn’t even started yet!

goddamn i love kevin millar. it seems like that guy has fun 100% of the time. roch next time you see him tell him my friends and i would like to take him out to mt royal tavern one night, drinks on us.

Thats all Jay Gibbons has ever been-- a batting practice hero. I went to a game last year where he hit 8 homers in BP.....5 Consecutivley.

He went 0-fer that night. Batting Practice Hero

33rdstreet4ever-
No one here is saying that Millar is the long term solution at 1st base. What were saying is that he can be a positive influence on our younger players. I hope he tells them how the red sox became a winning team because our veterans have never be on a winning team with the Orioles. Millar gets along with everyone and is very aware of his status as mediocre player. He keeps the game fun and the young guys can learn a lot from him. as I said in a previous comment, no one on the O's works the count better than him.

"l" is for LEAVE KEVIN ALONE!!! (Said like the crazy you tube Britany Spears protector)

Gibbons can hit a fastball , but that is it , most of the young pitchers are still just fast balling it this early in camp. Most of the new pitchers are on the big side so they really can bring the heat. If a few of them can master technique our pitching staff could get interesting.

Dan the man, do you think maybe Gibbons needs to sacrifice a live chicken to Jobu? :D

straight ball sounds like that straight throwing mo-fo Cory Doyne.

93 down the middle of the plate and flat.... GONNER! that makes it 24-3...